Well pump



J. PENROD WELL PUMP May 8, 1934.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 28, 1928 art Dante,

/////W ///////////L////W// J( PENROD May 8, 1934.

WELL PUMP Filed Aug. 28. 1928 2 Shets-Sheet 2 y Patented May 8, 1934UNITED sures PATENT oFFicE V WELL PUMP John Pom-cd, Okmulgee, Okla.Application Augist'zs, 1928, Serial No. 302570 This invention relates topumps especially adapted for use in oil wells.

Briefiy stated, an important object of the invention is to provide awell pump in which the working barrel thereo is reciprocated within adiametrically restricted tubing nipple to cooperate therewith in theformation of a lengthy choke; first to bring about a relatively rapidcirculation of fluid below the outlet valve of the pump to minimizeSettlement of sand and second, so that when the pump is intentionallyunseated for the purpose of flushing the diametrically enlarged sandreceivng housing, the tubing fluid will be retarded in its descentthrough the housing and thereby prevented from cutting or turning thecups of the foot valve, this latter purpose of the lengthy choke beingintended to provide for reseating the pump without first recupping thefoot valve thereof.

A further object of the invention' is to provide a well pump in whichthe upper traveling valve thereof is provided with a direct elevatorconnection permitting thepump to be started into the well without firstbeing connected to a valve stern or the first jointof sucker rods, thisfeature of the invention being intended to avoid the strain incident tothe connection of the pump to a valve stern or the first joint of rodswhile these parts are prone on a derrick floor.

The invention further contemplates a traveling valve cage in which thewings thereof are increased in cross-sectional area toward the peripheryoi the cage to increase the strength of the wings without impairing thefluid conducting capacity of the cage. p

Another object is to provide a well pump in which the seatingarrangement is such that the pump may be unseated with facility underall conditions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame. e i

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional View through the .pump ina seated'position.

Figure 2 is a similar view through the pump in an unseated position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the upper portion of thepump.

Figure 4 is a Vertical sectional view through the lower portion of thepump.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View takenion line 5-5 of Figure 3.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates atubing, to the lower portion of which is diametrically restrictedtubingnipple 6 is connected. In other words, as shown in Figures 1 and3, the nipple 6 has an internal diameter less than the internal diameterof the tubing 5. The lower portion of the nipple 6 has connection with asand receiving housing '7 substantially greater in diameter than thediameter of the tubing. A foot valve shoe 8 is shown to have threadedengagement with the sand receiving housing 'I and cooperates with a footvalve 9 in orming a closure for the bottom of the housing.

The foot valve 9' is provided with a plurality of cups 10 having fluidtight contact with the wall of the longitudinal opening through the shoe8. The ringnut 11 on the lower portion of the foot valve rests upon aninternal annular shoulder -12, of thefoot valve shoe.

The foot valve 9 is shown to be connected to the lower portion of atubular anchor 14 and the tubular anchor is in turn Suspended from andis in open communication with the tubular body 16 of the piston. i

It will be seen that the piston is relatively fixed and is' providedwith a plurality of downwardly presented cups 18 having fluid tightcontact with the wall of a movable working barrel 19. The upperportionof therelatively fixed piston is provided with what. might be said to bea standing valve 20 having a ball which is unseated during the upstrokeof the working barrel and is unseated during the downstroke of thebarrel.

The lower portion of the working barrel 19 carrie a bushing 21encircling the piston body 16 and adapted for striking engag ement withthe nut 22 to unseat the pump. Of course, the bushing 21 is engaged withthe nut 22 only when it is desired to unseat the pump for the purpose offiushing the special sand receiving housing '7 or for removing theequipment to the surface.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate that an upper traveling valve cage 32 isconnected to the upper portion of the working barrel 19 through themedium of a cage nut 28 and that the cage is provided with a shankhaving an abruptly reduced or shouldered portion 30 defining an elevatorconnection which enables the pump to be started into the well beforebeing connected to a valve stern or the first joint of rods. In otherwords, previous to the introduction of the pump into a well an elevatorofconventional or other design is connected directly to the abruptlyreduced portion so that the pump may be raised from a horizontalposition on the derrick floor to a vertical position immediately abovethe well into which the pump is to be lowered. The lifting effort isapplied directly to the pump without the inter- Vention of a valve stemand consequently bending of the valve stern preparatory to theintroduction of the pump into the well is avoided.

After the pump is started into the well a valve stem or the first jointof rods is connected to the valve cage with the aid of manually operatedwrenches. Since this connection is made while the parts are positionedvertically the attendants are less likely to use destructive force.connection it might be pointed out that a pump is ordinarily connectedto the first joint of rods 01' to the valve stem while these parts arepositioned horizontally on a derrick floor and the ease with which theWrenches may be handled increases the possibility of making this jointunnecessarily tight and consequently weakening the same. Also, theunnecessary force often used in connecting the upper traveling valvecage to the i first joint of rods or to a valve stem weakens the wingsof the cage so that after a short period of use the valve cage is brokenand the pump must be fished out of the well.

It will be seen that the shank of the upper traveling valve is providedat a point above the elevator connection 30 with flats for engagement bythe jaws of a wrench. By this arrangement the strain incident to theconnection of the valve cage to the valve stem or the first joint ofrods is not borne by or transmitted through the elevator connection orthe wings of the cage. Therefore, the wings of the upper cage arerequired only to resist the longitudinal strain incident to the workstroke of the pump. In this manner, the possibility of broken cages isreduced to a minimum.

It is admirably illustrated in Figure 5 that the wings of the uppertraveling valve cage 32 are increased in cross-sectional area 'towardthe periphery of the cage so that the side walls of each opening in thecage occupy substantially parallel planes. By this arrangement thestrength of the cage is tremendously increased without the slightestimpairment to the fluid conducting V Capacity of the cage.

The lower portions of the'wings of the upper traveling valve have theinner surfaces thereof offset inwardly to guide the ball valve 33axially to its seat. This assures prompt seating of the ball valve andat the same time greatly ini creases the period of usefulness of theball and seat. When the ball valve is unseated the space between thesame and the wings will be greatly increased and thoroughly scavenged ofsand which might subsequently interiore with the seating of the ball.

The shank of the upper traveling valve cage may be provided with eithera pin or box by which the pump may be connected to the sucker rodswithout the intervention of a valve stern.

In operation, the working barrel is reciprocated to bring about thealternate filling and emptying of the pump chamber which, as is clearlyshown in the drawings, extends from the standing valve 20 to the uppertraveling valve 26.

It is shown in Figures 1 and 2 that the working barrel has a verylimited clearance within the diametrcally restricted tubing nipple tocooperate therewith in the formation of a lengthy choke by which arelatively rapid circulation of fluid is maintained in that portion ofthe tubing In this ,space between the barrel and nipple so that the sandis not only held in suspension, but the pressure at the lower end of thebarrel is substantially reduced to relieve the cups 18.

From time to time, depending upon the Volume of sand which settles intothe housing 7, the pump may be unseated to allow the tubing fluid, or aportion of it, to fiush down through the housing to return theaccumulated sand to the well. It is important to observe that thelengthy choke defined by the working barrel 19 and the tubing nipple notonly performs the functions outlined in the immediately preceedingparagraph but it throttles the descent of the tubing fluid used forflushing purposes so that the movement of this fluid through thediametrically enlarged housing is relatively slow. In explaining this,attenticn is invited to Figure 2, in which it is illustrated that theannular sand receiving chamber between the anchoring member 14 and thesurrounding housing 7 is vastly superior in cross-sectional area to thecross-sectional area of the restricted fluid passage between the workingbarrel and the diametrically restricted nipple 6, so that when the pumpis unseated the descent of tubing fluid through the housing will beextremely slow as compared to the rate of descent of fluid through therestricted entrance opening to the housing and such slow descent offluid prevents the destructible cups 10 from being turned outward withthe result that the proper re-seating of the pump is assured. Therefore,during the flushing operation the descending fluid is prevented fromengaging the cups 10 of the foot valve with suflicient force to turn*and consequently destroy the same. Thus, the pump may be reseatedwithout recuppingthe foot valve. In other words, the relative diametersof the opposed walls of the barrel 19 and the surrounding tubular member6 constitutes a definite means embodying an annular chamber or passageof restricted cross-sectional area, by which, during the operation ofthe pump in the recovery of fluid, the fluid in said passage is causedto travel at a. much higher rate than the tubing fluid above and bywhich the descent of tubing fluid through the sand housing is retardedwhen the cup is unseated for flushing purposes.

The substantial space between the tubular anchor and the sand housingwill prevent the sand deposited therein from freezing the tubular anchorin seated position. That is to say, the crosssectional area of the wallof accumulated sand surrounding the tubular anchor will be such that thesand cannot effectively bind the anchor in place.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a pump, a tubular membena sand receivinghousing below said tubularmember and being of a substantially greater diameter than the same, amovable working barrel in said tubular member and having a limitedclearance from the 'iso wall thereof and cooperating therewith indefining an elongated diametrically restricted entrance opening to saidhousing of substantially greater diameter to retard the descent of fluidthrough the housing, an outlet valve at the upper portion of saidworking barrel, the movement of said Working barrel creating arelatively rapid fluid movement in said elongated restricted entranceopening at a point below said valve, and a piston in said working barreland having an anchor member provided with cups movable into said housingand the path of the retarded descent of fluid through the housing.

2. In a structure oi` the character described, a tubular member, ahousing below the tubular member and being of a greater diameter thanthe same, a pumping unit within said tubular member and being providedwith a foot valve having cups, a foot valve Shoe engaged by said cups,said pumping unit having a limited clearance in said tubular member andcooperating therewith in throttling the descent of fluid and therebyprotecting said cups when the pumping unit and the foot valve thereofare unseated and the foot valve and the oups thereof positioned in saidhousing of greater diameter.

3. In a fluid lift, a tubing, an elongated nipple attached to the tubingand having a diameter less than the diameter of the tubing, a sandhousing Suspended from said nipple and having a seat, and a pumping unitextending through said housing and having a foot valve to engage saidseat and thereby close the lower portion of said sand housing, saidpumping unit having an elongated pumping element movable through saidnipple in slightly spaced relation to the wall thereof to cooperatetherewith in the formation of a lengthy diametrically restricted passagebetween the tubing and said housing to throttle the descent of fluidthrough the housing When said oot valve is unseated and positioned insaid housing and causing the accelerated flow of fluid in the region ofthe elongated element of the pumping unit when the pump is operated.

4. In a fluid lift, a tubing, an elongated nipple attached to the tubingand having a diameter less than the internal diameter of the tubing, asand housing below said nipple and having a seat, and a pumping unitextending through said housing and having a member extending throughsaid housing and having a foot valve to engage said seat, the upperportion of said pumping unit having an outlet and provided below saidoutlet with an elongated element movable through said nipple in slightlyspaced relation to the wall thereof to cooperate therewith in theformation of a diametrically restricted passage between the tubing andsaid housing to accelerate the flow of fluid below said outlet when thepump is operated and to throttle the descent of fluid When said footvalve is unseated and positioned in said housing. V

JOHN PENROD.

